


No Lie

by shewritesall



Series: Let the World Know [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Domestic Avengers, Irondad, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark is Peter’s Dad Biologically, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-02 13:36:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15797610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall
Summary: A continuation of my book 'You're What?'. A series of one shots surrounding people discovering Peter is either related to Tony Stark or knows him (it will be clarified in each one shot). You don't have to read the other book to read this one as they are all independent little stories. Enjoy!*Requests are open! Comment if you have one!*





	1. Bring Your Kid to Work Day

Tony was a little nervous, to be honest.  Sure, he and Peter had gotten pretty close in the two years they had known each other and Peter had even starting calling him Tony regularly (Tony was pretty sure the kid had almost called him Dad one time, but he wasn’t certain).  However, he was still nervous to ask the kid if he wanted to come to Stark Industries with him for “bring your kid to work” day.  He had talked to May and she was more than willing to send Peter to him for the whole day, volunteering to talk to the principal herself with an excuse as to why Peter was missing school.  She had even promised he could stay the night as long as Tony promised Peter wouldn’t be late to school the next day.  Pepper was encouraging him to do it and even Happy seemed to like the idea. That’s how Tony ended up sitting in the parking lot of Midtown High, waiting for Peter to come out after school ended. 

“Whoa, I didn’t know you were picking me up, Tony!”  Peter said happily, sliding into the passenger seat and putting his backpack in the back seat.  “It’s Tuesday. Happy gets me on Tuesdays.”  Tony knew Peter well enough to know he wasn’t disappointed, just surprised, so he didn’t worry about it. 

“Yeah, well I was free and figured I’d come get you then we could work in the lab,”  Tony suggested, pulling out of the school parking lot.  He glanced at Peter who was grinning and nodding energetically. 

“Sounds awesome!”  he replied.  Tony smiled and the car fell silent for a few minutes, a rare occasion with Peter around. 

“Hey, kid,”  Tony said hesitantly.  “I have a question for you.” 

“What?”  Peter asked, looking at Tony curiously.  Tony tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, something Peter recognised as a nervous habit. 

“Thursday is a day,”  Tony began awkwardly.  Peter said yes, it was. Why was that important?  Tony rolled his eyes.  “I’m getting there,”  he answered. 

“Okay,” Peter nodded.  “So Thursday?  What’s important about Thursday?” 

“Well,”  Tony began, feeling his nerves return.  Before he could chicken out, he blurted out, “It’s bring your kid to work day and I wanted to bring you.”  He glanced at Peter, trying to gauge his reaction.  Peter seemed to be processing what Tony had said, not yet sure how to react.  “I already talked to May and she said she’ll cover for you.  She also said you could spend the night, so it’s down to you.”  Peter still didn’t respond, his face blank as he stared out the window and Tony began to backtrack.  “If you don’t want to, that’s fine, I understand.  It’s just, if you’re gonna take over SI, I figured it would be a good day for you to come and check things out more than usual.  If you’re not comfortable with it though, I get—”

“Of course I want to go!”  Peter exclaimed.  Tony smiled.  “I need to know what mistakes you make so I don’t make them, don’t I?”  he teased.  Tony had talked to Peter about taking over SI on his 17th birthday four months ago and the kid had passed out.  Tony had a photo and everything. 

“Hey, I don’t make mistakes,”  Tony objected.  Peter gave him a look and Tony gave him a warning look, pointing his finger accusingly at Peter.  “I don’t anymore!  I learned from those.” 

“I’d sure hope so,”  Peter mumbled. 

“One more word and I won’t take you to work on Thursday,”  Tony threatened.  Peter made a show of zipping his lips closed and throwing the key at the window.  “Extra,”  Tony told him.  Peter just shrugged, staying quiet.  Tony doubted it would last more than three minutes (it was only two minutes and 46 seconds later when Peter started talking again). 

* * *

Peter woke up in his room in the Stark Tower penthouse Thursday morning with a big grin.  He stretched and climbed out of bed.  After showering and getting dressed, he walked into the kitchen for breakfast where Tony was busy making pancakes.  Pepper was sipping her coffee and working on a Stark tablet, but she smiled at Peter when he walked in. 

“Good morning, Peter,”  she said.  Tony glanced back at Peter and smiled. 

“G’morning, Pepper,”  he replied.  He sat beside her and watched Tony flip the pancakes.  Tony turned and gave him a plate with three chocolate chip pancakes along with butter and syrup.  “Yay!  Thanks, Tony!”  Peter said excitedly.  He grabbed a fork off the counter and dug into his breakfast. 

It took eight more pancakes before Peter was full.  By then, Pepper had gone down to start working while Tony had finished the dishes.  After Peter brushed his teeth, he bounced down the hall to Tony and Pepper’s room.  He walked in to find Tony in his bathroom, combing his hair.  Tony grinned when he saw Peter and turned around. 

“Ready for a day at Stark Industries?”  he asked, throwing an arm over Peter’s shoulders.  Peter beamed and nodded. 

“Never been more ready for anything in my life,”  Peter told him.  Tony chuckled and they stepped into the elevator. 

“FRIDAY, take us to our first appointment,”  Tony instructed. 

* * *

Peter was still bubbling with energy at lunch.  He couldn’t stop talking the entire time, telling Pepper everything about their morning.  After grabbing Pepper from her office, the three went down to the food courts on the 17th floor to eat.  Peter had only taken four bites of his burrito in the span of fifteen minutes due to his story telling, but neither Pepper nor Tony wanted to stop his chatter and risk upsetting him. 

“And then we went down to the labs to talk to the new scientists and ask them about their projects!”  Peter said.  He took a bite of his burrito and hurried to eat it so he could continue without his mouth full.  “There was this one—”

“Mr. Stark!  Miss Potts!”  a voice exclaimed from behind Peter and Tony.  Peter stopped shortly and turned to see who had interrupted him.  He didn’t recognise the man, but Pepper and Tony seemed to, so he just sighed and ate his burrito.  He could wait to tell his story, he supposed. 

“Ed Harris,”  Tony said, trying to hide his irritation.  He could tell Peter was a little upset at being interrupted and Tony didn’t really like Ed in the first place.  “What brings you down here?” 

“Oh, just dropping by to check on production,”  Ed said.  He smiled at Pepper who returned it with one of her PR smiles.  “How are you, Miss Potts?” 

“I’m fine,”  Pepper replied.  She glanced at Peter who was now halfway through his burrito.  “Peter, sat slower or you’ll choke.”  Peter blushed and ate a little slower. 

“I heard Tony Stark had a little follower today,”  Ed said, grinning down at Peter.  Peter glanced back at him, mouth full, and gave a small smile.  He could tell Pepper and Tony didn’t like this man, so he didn’t bother being more polite.  Besides, he reminded Peter of Adrian Toomes a bit more than he’d like to admit. 

“This is Peter,”  Tony said shortly.  “Can I help you with anything in particular or are you just here to bother us?” 

“Tony,”  Pepper warned.  He ignored her but she didn’t really care. 

“Peter, how did you come across Tony?”  Ed asked.  Tony frowned at the hand Ed put on Peter’s shoulder, causing the kid to jump.  “Is this another thing for the public?  Bringing orphans to SI for a day?” 

“I think it’s time you leave, Edward,”  Tony said tersely.  Peter was rigid under Ed’s hand and Tony was fighting back irritation at the man.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. 

“What orphanage are you from, Peter?”  Ed asked.  Tony stood up abruptly and pulled Ed’s hand off Peter’s shoulder, holding his wrist tightly and giving the man a look that held barely controlled anger. 

“Peter’s not an orphan,”  he said lowly.  “He’s my son and is here for bring your kid to work day.  Why?  Cause I want him here.  I don’t want you here though, so please get out of my Tower before I call security.”  Ed pulled his wrist out of Tony’s right grip, struggling until Tony let him go. 

“You can’t kick me out of a building I work in,”  Ed said.  Tony crossed his arms. 

“Would you like to see me do it?”  he asked.  Ed exhaled irritatedly then turned and left.  Tony waited until Ed was out of sight before he sat back down beside Peter.  “You okay, kid?”  he asked softly.  Peter nodded. 

“He reminded me of Vulture guy,”  Peter said quietly, staring down at his burrito. 

“Do you want to go back up to the penthouse and marathon movies?”  Tony asked.  Peter shook his head, a determined look on his face. 

“Nah, I want to finish my day at Stark Industries,”  Peter said.  Tony smiled at him and nodded. 

“Okay,”  he agreed.  They spent the next three hours in meetings before escaping up to the penthouse to watch movies and work in the lab.  Even with Ed’s appearance at lunch, Peter decided it had probably been the best day of his life.  How many people got to say Tony Stark claimed them as his kid?


	2. What's a Spider-Man?

Peter was a little nervous.  Mr. Stark had suggested they tell Bruce he was Spider-Man so if he ever got seriously injured, Bruce could fix him up and he wouldn't be too shocked at discovering the boy was a superhero.  Peter trusted Bruce, of course.  The scientist had become one of his closest friends even though he'd only known him for a short while.  Nonetheless, it was always nerve-racking to tell someone a secret identity whether or not you wanted to.  That was why when Peter came to the Tower after school, he wasn't too surprised to see Mr. Stark waiting for him with Bruce in the lab. 

"Hey, Peter,"  Bruce said, turning to look at him.  Peter noticed he seemed a little concerned and wondered what Mr. Stark had told him.  "Tony said you had something important to tell me." 

"Oh,"  Peter said.  He nodded shyly and looked at Mr. Stark for encouragement.  Mr. Stark just nodded and smiled, motioning for Peter to continue. 

"What is it?"  Bruce asked worriedly, glancing back at Tony.  "Should I be this concerned?" 

"It's not that big of a deal,"  Peter answered, trying to calm Bruce down.  Mr. Stark seemed like he wanted to debate that statement and Peter glared at him.  Clearly Mr. Stark was not helping calm Bruce's worry. 

"Well?"  Bruce trailed off.  Peter fiddled with his hands and glanced down at the floor. 

"It's just, in case I ever get hurt or something,"  Peter began, glancing up at Bruce who looked horrified at the thought of Peter getting hurt.  "Cause, you know, superheroes get hurt sometimes and need someone to fix them up and you seem pretty good at that, so I would rather you fix me up than some other doctor so I just wanted to tell that, um, I'm Spider-Man?"  Peter looked up at Bruce, trying to read his expression.  For the most part, Bruce looked confused. 

"You're what?"  he asked.  Peter shyly said 'Spider-Man' again, but that only confused Bruce more.  "What's a—What's a... Spider-Man?"  Peter frowned in equal confusion. 

"Me,"  he replied.  "I'm Spider-Man."  Bruce nodded, eyebrows still scrunched together. 

"Yeah, I know that,"  he said.  "But what is it?  Is it like a band name?  Are you in a band?"  Peter pulled his head back, face scrunched and eyes wide. 

"No, I'm not in a—I'm Spider-Man!"  he exclaimed.  He pulled his sleeve back and showed Bruce his web shooter.  "See?  I'm Spider-Man!" 

"Okay, but what's that?"  Bruce asked, looking to Tony for help.  Mr. Stark just smirked and watched as Peter struggled to explain that he was Spider-Man.  "Tony, don't laugh at me!  I've been gone for two years, now tell me what a Spider-Man is!" 

"Spider-Man's a superhero,"  Mr. Stark said simply.  Bruce blinked, his face going blank as he looked between Peter and Tony.  "He would be an Avenger, but Peter said no, he'd rather just be a local hero." 

"You're a superhero?"  Bruce asked Peter.  He nodded, thankful Bruce finally seemed to understand.  "But that's—you're 17!  Superheroes get hurt, like, all the time." 

"That's why I'm telling you,"  Peter said.  He repeated the part about wanting Bruce to be able to fix him up if he ever got injured too terribly and Bruce just nodded. 

"Don't worry, kid,"  he replied, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder.  "If you ever get hurt, I'll fix you up to be better than perfect.  That's a promise!" 


	3. Forgotten Fieldtrip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor swearing, which is probably usual from now on. Nothing more than ass or shit. The occasional son of a bitch, but not often.

"Dad, can I just skip school tomorrow?"  Peter asked.  Tony looked up from his desk to glance at his son.  Peter had a large grin on his face as he fidgeted with his hands, waiting for a reply. 

"Why?"  Tony replied.  Peter glanced at Shuri then launched into a big explanation about how they wanted to make a robot together, but Shuri was leaving the morning after tomorrow, so they really only had time to do it during the school day.  Peter also through in how he never really learned anything at school anyway and he was obviously have a more educational experience in the lab than at school.  Tony wasn't sure if the last part was entirely true or just Peter's way of flattering him into saying yes. 

"And I swear I won't tell Mom,"  Peter promised.  Tony paused, thinking it over for only a few seconds. 

"As long as she doesn't find out,"  Tony agreed.  Peter and Shuri cheered before giving each other high fives.  "However, if she does, no visits for two months." 

"Don't worry, she won't,"  Shuri assured him.  She and Peter hurried back through the door into Peter own private lab and returned to their designs.  Of course, the robot they had designed didn't really need a full day.  It hardly needed seven hours with the two of them working on it and FRIDAY assisting.  However, Peter really wasn't in the mood to have a perfect weekend with Shuri ruined by Flash, so he wasn't going to return to school if he could help it. 

"Ned sent me the coding he wrote up last time,"  Peter said, pulling it up on his hologram then sending it across the room to her.  Shuri caught the origami crane and pulled it open until it was a flat projection in front of her. 

"It's too bad he couldn't come,"  she replied.  Peter nodded.  Ned had been forced into going on a family reunion so he was stuck in Albany, New York while Shuri was visiting the Tower. 

"I'm sure he'll make up for his absence next time,"  Peter told her.  Shuri laughed and agreed.  Ned would probably not leave the Tower next time just to make sure he made up for the fun he had missed out on. 

* * *

The next morning, Peter found himself being forced to wake up early just to pretend he was headed to school.  He ate breakfast with his parents, Steve, and Sam then hopped in the elevator as normal.  He got off at the garage and waited until his dad sent him the all clear before returning.  By the time he was back up in the penthouse, he was too awake to go back to sleep and ended up reading in the living room until Shuri came up. 

"Get up, Pete,"  she said, flicking his ear.  "We've got a robot to build."  He put his book away and they raced down to the lab.  Peter booted her out of the way, punching in the code to his own lab and running in before she could sneak by and beat him. 

"I win,"  he said, jumping up to the ceiling where a web hammock (made of permanent webbing) hung.  Shuri rolled her eyes. 

"You cheated,"  she replied.  "Now get down here so we can finish before lunch." 

* * *

Shuri was called up by her brother around 2:30pm.  Peter went up with her, leaving their hour old robot with Dum-E and U, telling FRIDAY to alert them if anything went wrong.  What they weren't expecting was for FRIDAY to tell Shuri she was supposed to go down to the 38th floor conference room.  They both frowned but followed directions.  Peter had to show Shuri where it was anyway, so he just stayed with her. 

"What do you think it's about?"  Shuri asked as they navigated through the offices and people. 

"I bet you're in trouble for being an ass to Rover,"  Peter replied, referring to when Shuri had gotten frustrated with the little robot five minutes after booting him up. 

"I was not,"  Shuri denied, rolling her eyes and shoving Peter. 

"You know what?"  Peter said, pointing at her.  "I'm gonna say it.  I'm about to say it.  You're always rude to me and I'm gonna tell my dad to fire you."  Shuri laughed and shook her head. 

"He can't fire me,"  she told him.  Peter raised an eyebrow.  "I'm not being paid to come." 

"That's right,"  Peter said, snapping as if he'd just remembered something.  "I forgot.  Dad doesn't hire amateurs."  Shuri's jaw dropped as she gaped at him. 

"You little shit!"  she exclaimed, lunging at him.  Peter laughed and shot away from her.  Shuri growled and raced after him.  Just as he pushed open the door to the conference room, she jumped on him.  He nearly toppled over, but righted himself last minute and pulled her arms off him.  He twisted around, making it difficult for her to grab onto him.  Mid turn, he noticed there were more than just the Avengers in the room and stopped.  Shuri, seeing her opportunity, jumped on him and he fell over. 

"Shuri, get off of me,"  Peter groaned, crawling out from underneath her.  She stood up and they both turned to face the people in the room.  Peter froze when he recognised the group.  Mr. Harrington was staring at them in shock along with the rest of the Decathlon team. 

"Yes, they wanted to meet you, Shuri,"  T'Challa said, smiling knowingly at the two.  Peter glanced at his dad who seemed unimpressed. 

"Oh,"  Shuri replied.  She gave a small wave to the class.  "I'm Shuri, Princess of Wakanda and designer of Wakandan technology." 

"How do you know Peter?"  Flash asked.  Shuri looked at him in confusion. 

"How do you know him?"  she replied.  Flash clearly wasn't expecting that response and stumbled over his own. 

"He, um, well he goes to, uh, school with us?"  he said.  Shuri nodded.  "But how do you know him?" 

"Why wouldn't I?"  she asked as if it was obvious.  "I come with my brother whenever he comes to visit Tony and Peter is Tony's son.  Of course I would know him."  Everyone's eyes widened and Shuri turned to Peter, confused as to why everyone was so shocked.  He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. 

"They, um, didn't know I was a Stark,"  Peter told her.  Now Shuri's eyes widened and she looked at Tony who nodded.  "It was a secret." 

"Oh,"  she said, looking back at Peter's class.  "My bad."  Peter silently agreed. 

"Well, now that you've met Shuri, I think it's time to go,"  Tony announced.  A couple kids immediately refused, saying they deserved to know more and Tony rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, I don't care if you're curious.  I'm leaving so you are too." 

"Don't think this means you're cool, Peter!"  Flash yelled as they walked out.  Peter sighed and turned to his dad.  Tony dragged a hand down his face and groaned. 

"What do we do now that they know?"  Peter asked. 

"You get your first press conference,"  Tony answered.  Now Peter groaned.  Shuri apologised again and Peter waved her off. 

"It would have gotten out eventually,"  he replied.  Shuri still said she was sorry and before Peter could berate her for apologising again, FRIDAY interrupted. 

"It appears Dum-E has trapped Rover in the lab and is demanding he try a smoothie,"  she said.  Peter and Shuri looked at each other in horror. 

"Coming!"  they both yelled before running out of the room and going to rescue their young robot. 


	4. Noise Cancelling Headphone Aren't Always Great

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! Just wanted to let all the Tumblr users on here that there is an account (anyfandomgiftexchange) that is doing a fanart thing. Basically, you fill out a form with what fandoms you're interested in for a gift and what you can create for. It can be drawings, gif sets, writing, or playlists. The link is on my account. Go check it out!

Peter was in a very good mood.  He'd aced his chemistry test thanks to Mr. Stark's (who he'd recently accidentally called 'Dad' which was embarrassing.  Good thing he didn't mind and Peter seemed to tell how much he enjoyed being called 'Dad', so he just hadn't stopped after that) help and then Happy had brought him a donut after school.  Besides, his favourite artist had just released a new album and he had found a new favourite song.  So yes, Peter was in a very good mood when he arrived at the Compound for the weekend. 

"See ya, kid,"  Happy mumbled.  Peter waved from outside the car, not hearing a word Happy had said.  Mr. Stark had made him some noise cancelling headphones for sensory overloads that doubled as headphones with really good sound for music.  Sue Peter for listening to his music loudly. 

"Bye, Happy!"  Peter yelled before turning and carrying his backpack into the Compound.  He opened the door, humming happily then kicking it shut with his foot.  His backpack was dropped by the coat rack and he hopped along to his music. 

"Welcome home, Peter,"  FRIDAY said through Peter's headphones.  Peter thanked her. 

"Hey, Dad!"  he yelled before dancing his way into the kitchen.  He closed his eyes and spun backwards as he walked in.  He opened his eyes when he arrived in front of the fridge and grinned when he saw brownies.  He pulled them out and set them on the counter beside the fridge, singing along to his song and cutting a brownie.  He had just taken a bite when FRIDAY spoke up. 

"Peter, I believe Mr. Stark would like you to turn around,"  she said.  Peter frowned and turned around to see the entire Avengers team staring at him.  He stopped chewing his brownie and went pale.  Ripping the headphones off his head and pausing his music, he looked around at the unexpected guests, vaguely wondering how much they had heard. 

"Hey, kid,"  Tony said casually.  "How was school?" 

"Good,"  Peter replied weakly.  He nibbled more of his brownie.  "Um, what are... what are all of them, um, doing here?"  He gestured to the team that was still watching him blankly. 

"Stopped by on their way to Wakanda,"  Tony told him.  He glanced at his team.  "Any minute now they'll recover."  Peter counted to 17 before the first throat was cleared. 

"So, who's this?"  Steve asked, nodding at Peter. 

"This is Peter,"  Tony introduced, wrapping an arm around Peter's shoulders.  "He stays with me and Pepper on weekends and sometimes on weekdays if his aunt is gone or he stays too late after school." 

"Is he your son?"  Sam asked, not rudely but blunt.  Tony gave him a sarcastic look. 

"No, Wilson,"  he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.  "He calls me 'Dad' because I'm his brother."  No one really knew how to respond to that; not even Peter who just nibbled his brownie gingerly.  At least they weren't yelling.  Before anyone else could ask questions, Pepper walked into the kitchen.  She looked between the visiting team and Tony and Peter, nodding as she realised what had occured. 

"Hello,"  she greeted warmly, smiling at Steve and his group.  They smiled back, although looking a bit confused still. 

"They just met Peter,"  Tony chirped, turning to look at her.  "I think they like him!"  Both Tony and Peter grinned at her, smiles identical although Peter had remains of brownie around his lips.  Pepper smiled at them, peeking Tony's lips then kissing Peter's forehead. 

"I don't see how they could feel otherwise,"  she replied.  She grabbed a banana from the fruit basket then turned to leave.  "I have a meeting at the Tower until 6pm.  When I get back, you better have reservations at Daniel's for three." 

"Will do,"  Tony agreed, saluting her as she walked out.  Peter and Tony both turned back around to face the rest of the team who just blinked at him.  "I got a new game console if anyone wants to try it out." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long! School started so it's a little chaotic figuring out my new schedule and everything. I'll plan on updating every weekend at the very least.


	5. Decathlon Team vs. Tony Stark: Part 1

Peter was so glad his mom was willing to protect him from his dad's embarrassing habits.  This included a lot of things, but the most notable was the ability to lie to his dad's face under any circumstance.  Right now, it included telling Tony he had to be in a board meeting the next day in Malibu even though there wasn't one even planned.  After Peter had come home with a permission slip to go on a field trip to Stark Tower, Pepper had signed it and had Dum-E deliver it to her office, a place she knew Tony wouldn't find it.  Next, she had called for the private jet to drop Tony off in Malibu then remain in Los Vegas until 5pm before flying him back.  It was a fail proof way to make sure Tony couldn't possibly embarrass Peter on a field trip through his own home. 

"You need to be in the air right now!"  Pepper yelled up the stairs to where Tony was struggling to get dressed.  Peter glanced up from his cereal briefly. 

"Why wasn't I told this earlier?"  Tony asked, running down the stairs.  He grabbed Pepper's waist and kissed her quickly before running into the kitchen to eat breakfast. 

"I told you three days ago,"  she reminded him, stopping herself from spinning after he raced off from her.  Tony rolled his eyes.  "Tony, if you don't go to this meeting, Peter and I will lock you in Fury's office in a straight jacket and force you to listen to all of SHIELD's protocols."  Tony looked horrified. 

"I'm leaving,"  he said, racing onto the balcony and suiting up. 

"No!  You have to take the plane!"  Pepper cried, running after him.  Tony was already suited up, though, and she knew there was no way he was coming out. 

"Plane won't make it in time,"  Tony said.  Pepper wanted to pull her hair out.  "Love you!  Bye!"  With that, he shot off into the air and disappeared.  Pepper let out a frustrated scream before composing herself and walking back inside.  Peter was just finishing up his cereal when she joined him in the kitchen. 

"So, I'm screwed,"  Peter declared.  Pepper shook her head. 

"Not necessarily,"  she told him.  He got up and washed out his dishes while she continued.  "I'll make sure he doesn't find out there's a tour group or that you're in it.  When he comes back, I'll make sure he doesn't leave the penthouse." 

"Good luck,"  Peter replied.  Pepper shot him a look and he grinned innocently.  "I love you, Mom,"  he said.  Pepper kissed his head then sent him off towards the elevator. 

"I love you too,"  she called after him.  "Enjoy the tour!" 

* * *

Peter slumped in his seat in the bus.  Ned sat behind him, reading a mobile book, and MJ sat across from him, reading a paper book.  Peter had his ear buds in, but wasn't really listening to his music.  He was counting down the minutes before they arrived in front of his home for a tour.  Whether or not his mom kept his dad back, he knew he was in for it.  Flash wouldn't let him forget his lie about having an internship with Tony Stark after he'd been leaving school early for a couple days in a row. 

"Alright, everyone!"  Mr. Harrington exclaimed.  The bus came to a stop and Peter looked up.  "We're here!"  They were, indeed.  Peter put his ear buds away and walked off the bus.  He met up with Ned and MJ near the back of the group and they followed Mr. Harrington and the rest of the Decathlon team inside. 

"Hey, Penis,"  Flash hissed, poking his back sharply.  "Since you work here, where's the front desk?"  Peter raised an eyebrow and pointed at the very obvious front desk.  Flash rolled his eyes.  "Way to be observant." 

"You're the one that asked,"  Peter reminded him. 

"Don't talk to me like that,"  Flash snapped before stalking off to find his friends.  Peter sighed as they waited for Mr. Harrington and their tour guide to bring the badges.  Of course, Peter wouldn't need one to get anywhere.  FRIDAY was programmed to recognise him, Tony, and Pepper without ID badges.  They didn't even need codes to get into anything, just DNA and dual finger print recognition to get into secured areas. 

"Gather 'round, team,"  Mr. Harrington called.  The group joined Mr. Harrington and their tour guide near the middle of the room. 

"Hello, my name is James and I'll be your tour guide,"  the guide announced.  He told them to all come get a badge as they'd need it to get everywhere.  Even Peter grabbed one and slipped it over his neck, glancing down at the plain white badge that read 'Guest' in bold black letters on the front. 

"Don't you have your own pass?"  Ned asked.  Peter shook his head. 

"Don't need it,"  he answered.  "FRIDAY just recognises me, Mom, and Dad without one.  Unless we want into secured areas, we don't need anything."  Ned nodded as if it was the coolest thing he'd heard.  Peter wasn't so sure it wasn't, either, so he didn't blame his friend for his amazement. 

"Please scan your badge as we go through then follow me into the elevator,"  James said.  He led the group through the security gate and scanned his badge.  The light above went green and he was allowed through.  The rest of the Decathlon team followed suit, Peter going through last. 

"Peter, why are you in possession of a badge?"  FRIDAY asked.  Peter walked through the security gate and felt his face heat up when his team looked at him. 

"I'm on a field trip,"  Peter explained.  "Just ignore the badge."  He joined Ned and MJ, trying to ignore Flash's confused glare as they walked into the elevator. 

"FRIDAY's so cool,"  Ned whispered excitedly to Peter.  Peter smiled and nodded as the elevator doors closed.  Yeah, she was pretty neat. 

 


	6. Decathlon Team vs. Tony Stark: Part 2

Tony wasn't too thrilled when he arrived in Malibu at 6:30am local time, waited for three hours, then found out the meeting didn't even exist.  He had left back for New York immediately, taking the trip in 2 hours and arriving back at Stark Tower at 2:30pm.  When he walked into the penthouse, it was empty and quiet.  Tony wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he knew there had to be some reason Pepper wanted him out of the house for the whole day and he was going to find out. 

"FRIDAY?  Where's Pep?"  he asked, searching the house for his wife. 

"Mrs. Stark is in her office preparing a quiz for a tour group,"  FRIDAY replied.  Tony frowned and stopped his search for her. 

"Why did she want me out of the house?"  he asked, getting in the elevator. 

"It's been requested I don't tell you,"  FRIDAY said.  Tony rolled his eyes and gave his override code.  "Mrs. Stark and Peter did not want you to intrude on the tour." 

"Why not?"  Tony asked.  He had to give his override code again just to find out it was because Peter was on the tour.  He sighed.  "Alright.  Where's their next stop?" 

"The conference room for a quiz,"  FRIDAY replied. 

"Take me there!" 

* * *

Pepper wasn't sure why FRIDAY hadn't informed her of Tony's arrival, but she was sure that Peter was going to have a heart attack when he walked into the conference room to see Tony casually sitting in the front, drawing on a Stark tablet.  She stormed over to him and ripped the tablet out of his hands, demanding to know why he was here. 

"FRIDAY said Peter had a school trip,"  Tony said.  "Haven't seen him all day and wanted to say hi."  Pepper fumed. 

"You can say hi when he comes back later,"  she told him, pulling him to his feet.  She pushed him to the door but stopped when James walked in with the Decathlon team.  It was now too late to get rid of Tony as the group had seen him and begun whispering.  When Peter heard the whispers, his eyes widened and he stood on his toes to see if it was true. 

"Oh no,"  he groaned, hiding behind Ned.  Ned asked what was wrong.  "Dad's here." 

"I thought he was in Malibu,"  Ned said, sounding confused but no less excited. 

"So did Mom and I,"  Peter mumbled back.  The Decathlon team filed into room and took their seats.  Peter tried to hide in the back, but he knew his dad could see him perfectly.  Thankfully, he didn't call out to him. 

"I see Tony Stark did show up,"  Flash taunted.  Peter slid down further in his seat.  "I can't wait to see what happens when he discovers you've been lying about knowing him for three years." 

"Alright, Midtown High kids!"  Tony said, drawing everyone's attention forward.  "We're going to do a little game Decathlon style.  I'll ask you questions and whoever gets all of them right, wins something awesome."  A hand went up and Tony pointed at it. 

"Are we playing as a team?"  Cindy asked.  Tony shook his head. 

"There are no friends,"  he answered.  "Play for yourself." 

"What's the prize?"  Flash asked, raising his hand as he spoke.  Tony glanced at Pepper who was still glaring at him with her arms crossed, determined to be no help whatsoever. 

"Um, a day with me in the lab?"  Tony suggested.  Peter heard a bunch of kids squeal in delight and start whispering to their friends excitedly.  Tony looked around, worried he'd made the biggest mistake of his life by agreeing to let some kid into his lab for the day.  When he saw Peter in the back, though, he relaxed.  Surely Peter would win.  There was no way he was letting another kid into his lab for a whole day. 

"Settle down, team,"  Mr. Harrington said.  Slowly, everyone began to calm down.  Mr. Harrington stepped back and Tony was back as the centre of attention. 

"Alright,"  Tony said, grabbing his Stark tablet.  He quickly found the questions Pepper had been writing up and recited the first one.  "Who introduced the theory of punctuated equilibrium?" 


	7. Decathlon Team vs. Tony Stark: Part 3

It was the last question of the quiz and only MJ and Charlie were left.  Peter had gotten out on purpose, not wanting to let his dad have the joy of getting Peter in the lab for a day (not like he didn't everyday) and not wanting to take away another kid's opportunity.  The minute he chose to fail, he saw his dad send him a small glare and he just smirked.  Now they were down to the final question and Peter was really hoping MJ would win. 

"According to the article "Jurassic Genome", what is "junk DNA"?"  Tony asked.  MJ's hand shot up while Charlie's slowly raised.  He looked uncertain, but MJ looked sure of herself.  "Yes, MJ?" 

"DNA that doesn't code for proteins,"  she replied.  Tony grinned and nodded. 

"We have our winner!"  he announced.  MJ grinned and pulled out her book while the rest of the team clapped for her.  Tony had met MJ before and didn't actually mind having her in his lab for the day.  That is, of course, if she agreed to it and didn't ask to spend the day with Pepper instead (which he was pretty sure she'd do). 

"How's it feel to be a loser in front of your hero?"  Flash asked Peter.  He'd been teasing Peter ever since he'd willingly gotten himself out even though Flash had gotten out two questions before Peter did. 

"Knock it off, Flash,"  Ned replied.  Flash glared at Ned. 

"Come on,"  he scoffed.  "I know you believe Penis about his fake internship, but don't you think you should reconsider by now?  Tony Stark has all but said he doesn't know him." 

"You haven't even asked him,"  Ned said.  Flash straightened then stood up. 

"Fine,"  he agreed.  "I will."  Peter scrambled out of his seat and raced after Flash, trying to stop him before he got to his dad.  Flash noticed and ran towards Mr. Stark, nearly colliding with him in his rush to beat Peter. 

"Whoa, who are you?"  Tony asked, stepping away from Flash slightly. 

"I'm Flash Thompson and I just wanted to know if you allow high school interns,"  Flash said quickly.  Tony frowned and glanced behind Flash at Peter who was looking very nervous.  Flash smirked and pointed back at Peter.  "Penis claims he works for you, but I know it's not true, isn't it?" 

"Penis?"  Tony repeated, staring at Peter who was slowly stepping back.  "Hey, no, you stay here, Peter."  Peter stopped and Flash frowned.  How did Tony Stark know Peter's name? 

"You know him?"  Flash asked.  Tony looked down at Flash and glared at him. 

"Yes, I do,"  he answered.  "Peter's my son and the internship was a cover up."  Flash's eyes went wide. 

"I'm... I'm sorry!"  he stuttered out. Tony nodded slowly. 

"I'm sure you are now that you know he's my son,"  he said.  Flash nodded quickly while Peter remained frozen behind Flash.  "If I ever hear about you bullying my son, whether it's physical or verbal, I'll press charges.  Got it?" 

"Y-Yes, sir,"  Flash gulped.  Tony nodded and stepped around Flash to face Peter. 

"How long has he been bullying you?"  Tony asked.  Peter shrugged, wishing the stares of his classmates would disappear. 

"Beginning of high school?"  Peter replied weakly.  Tony's eyes widened and he glanced back at Flash who had scurried for cover with his friends.  "It's not that big of a deal!  Please ignore it!" 

"Peter, he's bullying you!"  Tony exclaimed.  Peter tried arguing but wasn't very successful. 

"Just, he's not that bad of a kid,"  he told his dad.  "He's only bullying me cause I stood up for Ned.  I can take it.  If I can't, I'll tell you." 

"Promise?"  Tony asked.  Peter nodded.  "Good.  Now where's your teacher?  I'm just gonna keep you rather than send Happy out after the bus."  Peter pointed to Mr. Harrington and Tony left to go talk to him about keeping Peter.  Peter went over to Ned and MJ while his classmates stared at him still. 

"Is your mom around?"  MJ asked, looking up from her book.  Peter shrugged. 

"She's in the Tower somewhere,"  he told her.  She'd left halfway through the quiz to finish up her work.  "Why?" 

"Because I'd rather spend a day with her than Tony Stark." 

**The End!**


	8. Masks Save Lives

Spider-Man had seen better days, that was for sure.  Most criminals weren't too terribly difficult to take care of, but for some reason, these guys didn't want to surrender.  Whether it be the determination to kill Spider-Man or the desire to stay out of jail, Peter wasn't sure.  All he knew was that he was in over his head and Mr. Stark was on his way.  Other than that, he had to focus on not getting dismembered, shot, or killed and the news reporters surrounding the battle weren't helping. 

"Spider-Man is now taking on seven men all at once!"  a reporter exclaimed.  "Look at him go!"  Peter grunted, forcing himself to block out the commentary.  It was hard, though, as he was relying on his senses a lot and he couldn't just tune out all the news stations. 

"Spider-Man, need a hand?"  a metallic voice asked from above.  Peter looked up to see Iron Man hovering over him.  He grinned as Mr. Stark raised a repulsor and shot the guy Peter had been fighting. 

"Thanks!"  Peter yelled, watching as Mr. Stark shot down another guy.  Distracted, Peter didn't notice one of them sneaking up behind him.  By the time he did, there was a knife at his neck and the man was holding him down tightly. 

"Don't move, Spider-Man,"  the man threatened. 

"Or what?  You'll shoot me?"  Peter retorted.  He made to throw the man off him but another guy jumped on him and held him down. 

"Let's see who you are, Spider-Man,"  the man chuckled.  Peter could have easily fought them both off, but suddenly a bright flash appeared in front of him and he had to blink rapidly to prevent himself from going blind.  When he recovered, he realised his mask was off. 

"My mask!"  Peter yelled, snatching it out of the man's hands.  He quickly put it back on, but he knew the damage was already done.  "Dude, what the heck?  You don't mess with a guy's mask!" 

"You're... You're a kid,"  the man stuttered, still in shock.  Peter rolled his eyes and webbed the two men up.  Iron Man had finished off the others and when the news reporters realised the fight was finished, they surrounded the two heroes. 

"Mr. Stark!"  Peter yelled, rushing towards him as cameras and reporters followed him.  Iron Man extended his arms and picked up Peter. 

"Let's go, Underoos,"  he said before lifting off into the air and shooting towards the Tower. 

* * *

Peter's face was all over the news that night.  Zoomed in photos of Spider-Man with his mask off dominated every station and #Spidermansidentity was trending on Twitter and Instagram.  Peter had refused to leave the Tower after discovering he'd been found out.  Mr. Stark had called May to let her know Peter was safe and with him, but she seemed mostly worried about what they were going to do now that the whole world knew Peter's face.  Mr. Stark had promised her he'd take care of it then left to find Peter who was curled up on the couch snuggled in a blanket with hot cocoa, Pepper running her fingers through his hair. 

"Hey, kiddo,"  Mr. Stark said softly, sitting on Peter's other side so the teen was between him and Pepper.  "How're you holding up?" 

"I'm scared,"  Peter mumbled into his mug.  Pepper kissed his head and he hugged her tighter. 

"What for?"  Mr. Stark asked, rubbing his back.  He'd gotten better at the whole 'comfort and hugs' thing in the two years he'd known Peter. 

"People are gonna know me,"  Peter said.  Mr. Stark nodded.  "School's gonna suck more." 

"What do you mean "more"?  I thought you loved school!"  Pepper exclaimed.  Peter shrugged as best he could and she sighed. 

"Obviously we can't keep them from posting about who Spider-Man really is and you can't just drop out of school,"  Mr. Stark said.  Peter tried to protest but Mr. Stark was having none of it.  "You can skip school tomorrow and then you have the whole weekend to prepare, but Monday you'll have to return." 

"Don't wanna,"  Peter said. 

"I'll make sure no one bothers you,"  Mr. Stark promised. 

* * *

When Monday came, Peter wasn't ready.  Spider-Man was still trending and the news stations really hadn't died down.  Peter had spent all weekend with Mr. Stark and Pepper.  May even came to spend Saturday and Sunday night at the Tower.  Even though Mr. Stark had made sure no reporters or paparazzi would be outside Midtown High and Happy promised to sit in the parking lot all day, Peter did his best to avoid going to school.  In the end, he found himself sitting in the car with Mr. Stark and May on his way to school. 

"Just call us if it gets to be too much, okay?"  May asked.  Peter nodded numbly and hugged his aunt tightly.  She kissed his cheek then let him turn and hug Mr. Stark tightly. 

"You'll be alright, kiddo,"  he promised.  "Ned and MJ will look out for you and we're all right here." 

"Okay,"  Peter said softly.  Mr. Stark stepped out of the car so Peter could get out then waved as he walked into the school building. 

Peter could hear the whispers before he even stepped inside the school.  He walked down the halls, trying to ignore the stares and whispers he was receiving but not succeeding very well.  When he finally got to his locker, Ned appeared beside him.  Peter gave him a tight smile and grabbed his books before turning around. 

"So, I saw the news,"  Ned said awkwardly.  Peter could feel his anxiety rise at the mention of the news. 

"Please don't mention it,"  Peter replied.  Ned nodded in understanding and they walked quietly down the halls.  MJ slid in beside them halfway to their first class and nudged Peter. 

"How're you holding up?"  she asked.  Peter shrugged. 

"I'm just waiting for someone to freak out,"  he answered.  As if on cue, a bunch of kids came running up to him, asking how he became Spider-Man and why he kept it a secret.  Peter couldn't answer, his mind going blank as soon as he was surrounded. 

"Hey, back up, would ya?"  MJ yelled, pushing the group back.  Peter's breathing had sped up and clearly MJ and Ned had noticed.  With MJ pushing people out of their way and Ned following Peter to make sure people didn't surround him, MJ led him into an empty classroom and locked the door. 

"I wanna go home,"  Peter whimpered, covering his ears. 

"Who should we call?"  Ned asked.  Peter didn't respond.  "Peter?" 

"Shut up, Ned,"  MJ hissed, pushing him back as he was making Peter panic more.  She knelt down in front of where Peter was on his knees.  "Peter, talk to us.  Who should we call to get you home?"  she asked softly. 

"Mr. Stark,"  he whispered.  MJ nodded and carefully took his phone out of his clutched hand.  She used his thumb to unlock his phone and find the contact that read 'Mr. Stark'. 

"Hey, Tony Stark?"  MJ asked.  "This is MJ, Peter's friend.  You need to come pick him up."  She hung up and set Peter's phone on a nearby desk.  "Mr. Stark's coming.  Do you want to go outside?" 

"Yeah,"  Peter breathed out.  MJ looked towards the fire exit and helped Peter to his feet.  The three walked outside and over the the edge of the parking lot so they couldn't hear the whispers.  Peter could, but they were quieter and he was focusing on Ned's story about a new Lego set.  By the time Mr. Stark came to get him, he was calm. 

"You ready to go, Peter?"  he asked.  Peter nodded and thanked his friends quietly.  They shrugged, promising it wasn't that big of a deal.  Mr. Stark led Peter back to his car and drove back to the Tower where May and Pepper were waiting.  Mr. Stark ended up doing a press conference where he addressed the Spider-Man identity reveal, making sure no one would follow the kid and that they knew what would happen it they did. 


	9. Spiderson in a Fire

This was clearly not going to work.  Peter had ruined his mask after saving people from a burning building after school and he was now trying to fix the filter before the next time he had to race into a building.  Unfortunately for him, FRIDAY wasn't giving him clearance to do so (something about 'Baby Monitor Protocols' that he was  _definitely_ going to talk to his dad about) and Karen wasn't functioning due to the smoke damage.  Peter knew his dad was busy and he'd told FRIDAY to notify him when he arrived at the Compound, but she'd said nothing along the lines of his dad returning and it had been four hours. 

"FRIDAY, where's Dad?"  Peter yelled frustratedly, throwing his mask at the wall. 

"Boss is in the upper conference room,"  FRIDAY replied.  Peter paused, looking at the ceiling in confusion. 

"Has he been there this whole time?"  he asked.  FRIDAY said he had, so Peter sighed and picked up his mask.  "Why didn't you tell me?"  he grumbled, walking out of his lab and up the Compound stairs.  He knew where the upper conference room was better than almost any room other than those in the Stark Wing of the Compound.  It held the best coffee maker so, of course, Tony spent a lot of his out-of-lab work up there. 

"You said to inform you when he returned, but he never left,"  FRIDAY sassed.  Peter just sighed and fiddled with his mask.  He pushed his back against the glass door and walked in. 

"Dad, I need my mask fixed,"  he announced, turning on his heels.  He stopped so quickly he would have toppled over had he not had sticky feet.  Sitting in front of him was not just his dad, but the rest of the Avengers team. 

"Hey, kiddo,"  Tony said awkwardly.  Peter pulled his mask behind his back and smiled tightly at the team of superheroes in front of him. 

"I'll just come back later..."  Peter trailed off, slowly walking towards the door. 

"Hold up,"  Steve said, stopping Peter in his tracks.  "Who are you?"  Peter looked at his dad, waiting for confirmation before revealing who he was.  Tony gave a small nod and Peter inched back towards the table, knowing he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. 

"I'm Peter Stark,"  he answered.  He received multiple blank and confused stares.  Tony nudged him gently, telling him to tell the team about himself.  "I'm 16 years old and like science."  He looked back at his dad to see if that was enough and Tony just sighed. 

"Pep and I adopted him when he was seven right after his aunt and uncle died at the Stark Expo due to the Hammeroid attack,"  Tony explained.  He looked up at Peter who was fiddling with his mask again.  "Kid wouldn't leave Pepper and after finding out he was all alone, we agreed to take him in.  Any questions?"  Sam's hand shot up and Tony called on him as if it was a classroom. 

"Yeah, how the hell did we not know about him earlier?"  he asked.  Tony shrugged. 

"You're stupid,"  he answered.  Sam looked offended and Steve gave a disappointed 'Tony'.  Tony groaned.  "Fine.  He and Pepper usually stay in Malibu, especially whenever I think I'll have people in my Tower besides Rhodey." 

"Yeah, I knew within the first hour he found out the kid existed,"  Rhodey said in response to all the looks he got.  Everyone seemed fairly satisfied with the answer they received, so they didn't protest. 

"Alright, Underoos,"  Tony said.  "Head on back down to the lab.  I'll be down in a moment to help you once we agree on what we want for dinner."  Peter nodded and was walking towards the door when Steve called out again. 

"Wait, "Underoos"?"  he asked.  Peter froze.  "That's what you called that spider kid."  How could that man remember something as small as a nickname from Berlin?  They were beating each other up and Steve recalled a nickname? 

"You're delusional,"  Tony said immediately, standing up to walk Peter out.  "Come on, kid.  Forget dinner.  I'll help you now."  

"We fought your kid in Berlin!"  Clint exclaimed.  Tony waved over his shoulder as he and Peter stepped out of the conference room, the team calling out questions that Tony didn't bother listening to and Peter just ignored. 

"Now, tell me what happened to your mask,"  Tony said, taking it in his hands and walking beside Peter down the stairs. 

"Oh,"  Peter said, recalling the story of the burning building.  "There was this massive fire—like huge—in this big apartment complex, so I went in and got all these people out, but my mask got plugged up so I couldn't see and I got crushed by the ceiling and—"

"I'm sorry, there are many things wrong with this scenario,"  Tony interrupted, waving his hands.  Peter paused.  "When were you gonna call me?" 

"Oh, Karen's kinda broken from the falling ceiling,"  Peter said casually.  "I was gonna call you after I got that off me, but she wasn't working and I had to save this cat, so I just swung in and helped it to safety." 

"You risk your life for a cat?"  Tony asked.  Peter looked at him as though he had seven eyes. 

"Yeah,"  he said obviously.  "What else was I supposed to do?" 

"Stay safe!"  Tony yelled at the same time Peter said, "Let it die?"  Tony groaned and glared at Peter. 

"Gosh, kid,"  he sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.  "You're the reason I have heart problems."  Peter just grinned.  At least he didn't have burns anymore. 


	10. Nightmare Frenzy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite mentioning Thanos, there aren't Infinity War spoilers. However, I imagine everyone has seen it at this point.

_Peter was right there, standing on a ledge above Thanos and about to attack.  Tony could reach him before he jumped, he was sure.  He just had to make sure Thanos wouldn't notice Peter or manage to hurt him.  He didn't have time to think up anything even sort of resembling a plan, though, before Peter jumped off the ledge and was snatched out of the air, thrown across the rough terrain of Titan.  The kid yelped as he slammed into the ground and Tony's heart plummeted.  He put all his power into his thrusters and shot towards the limp form of Peter.  Unfortunately, Thanos beat Tony to Peter and picked Peter up by his hair._

_"Ow,"  Peter groaned, grabbing onto Thanos's wrist to prevent the pull on his hair from hurting more than necessary.  "Hey, lemme go!  This isn't very fair!"_

_"You're really quite annoying,"  Thanos told him.  Peter just glared at him and rattled on about how just because he was small didn't mean Thanos could throw him around like a rag doll._

_"Unlike you, people like me and I would prefer not having to tell Aunt May why I look like a crash dummy,"  Peter finished.  Thanos looked slightly amused before he turned to Tony._

_"Is this yours?"  he asked, shaking Peter who cried out in pain at the tug on his hair, feet dangling just barely above the ground._

_"Don't you dare hurt him,"  Tony replied, trembling with fury.  He raised a repulsor and pointed it at Thanos.  "Put the kid down or I swear I'll kill you."  Thanos tilted his head and gave him a mocking pout._

_"You care for him?"  he taunted.  Tony bit his lip to prevent himself from saying something that would make the situation worse.  "Answer me or I'll crush his skull!"  Thanos roared.  Peter's face scrunched up in pain and Tony panicked._

_"Yes!  Yes!  I care for him!"  Tony cried, stepping forward before stopping himself.  Thanos grinned maliciously._

_"Disgusting,"  he said before pressing the purple power stone to Peter's head and activating it.  Peter screamed and Tony screamed too, watching as Peter's body turned purple and cracked before disappearing.  Tony dropped to his knees, screaming and crying as Thanos laughed._

* * *

Tony woke up in a sweat, tears racing down his cheeks and heart beating rapidly.  He sat up, looking around to figure out what was going on.  He could see out the window panels FRIDAY had open and based on the light outside as well as the view, he was in New York and it was day time.  Why had he been asleep?  What was going on?  A few seconds later, he recalled laying down to take a nap after FRIDAY insisted.  Clearly that was a bad idea.  It just served as a reminder as to why he didn't sleep anymore. 

"FRIDAY?  Where's Peter?"  Tony demanded, putting a hand on his chest to stop his racing heart.  It didn't do much to help. 

"Peter is at Midtown School of Science and Technology,"  FRIDAY answered.  That wasn't enough for Tony.  He had to make sure the kid was alright. 

"Take me there,"  he said, activating his suit and shooting out of the lab.  FRIDAY flew him to the school on autopilot while he forced himself to stop trembling.  It wouldn't be very great if he showed up in public shaking from a nightmare.  Besides, he wouldn't be out long.  Just long enough to make sure Peter was okay and not actually dead. 

* * *

Peter was working on a worksheet when he heard whispers start up.  Some kid near the window was swearing they had just seen Iron Man outside.  Other kids nearby had looked outside and gasped, whispering about seeing Tony Stark.  Peter frowned and looked towards the window.  By now, almost everyone was looking out the window, but neither Tony Stark nor Iron Man were visible.  The teacher told them to sit back down and they did, hesitantly and still looking out the window. 

"Psst, Penis?"  Flash hissed, tossing a paper at his head.  Peter rolled his eyes and turned to look at Flash.  "What's Tony Stark doing here, huh?" 

"I don't know, Flash,"  Peter replied, not believing the whispers about Tony Stark.  He hadn't left his Tower alone since the battle with Thanos.  Something about PTSD and not doing too well in public anymore.  Peter understood completely which was why Ant Man was sitting in his pencil bag, drawing with a broken piece of lead on a very small piece of paper. 

"Probably cause you don't know him,"  Flash concluded.  Peter just sighed and turned back in his seat, giving Scott a sharp look.  The tiny man had been told he wasn't to do anything to Flash under any circumstance.  If he did, he'd go back to jail and after reminding him multiple times of Cassie, Scott agreed. 

It was only a minute later when a sharp knock appeared at the door.  Everyone looked up as the door opened and Tony Stark walked in.  He looked calm, but Peter could see the absolute terror in his eyes as he searched the classroom.  Peter dropped his pencil, sitting upright when Mr. Stark's eyes landed on him.  He let out a soft 'Peter' that only Peter and those closest to Mr. Stark could hear.  Peter didn't care about jostling Scott on his desk and he stood up abruptly. 

"Mr. Stark?  What's up?"  he asked.  Mr. Stark glanced at the teacher then Peter before asking if he could see Peter for a moment, his voice only shaking slightly.  The teacher nodded dumbly and Peter walked into the hall with Mr. Stark.  As soon as the door was shut, Mr. Stark hugged Peter tightly. 

"God, I had this dream,"  he muttered, squeezing Peter tighter as the remaining images flashed through his mind.  "You—Thanos—he killed you, Peter,"  Tony concluded, taking a sharp breath and barely managing to hold back tears. 

"I'm alright, Mr. Stark,"  Peter said softly, squeezing Mr. Stark tight, but not tight enough to hurt him.  "We won.  It's okay." 

"It was so real,"  Mr. Stark said, his voice breaking.  Peter squeezed him tighter and closed his eyes tightly.  He could hear Mr. Stark's breathing picking up again and grasped for something to talk about. 

"I had a chemistry test today,"  he said quietly.  Mr. Stark's breath hitched and Peter continued.  "It wasn't that hard.  I didn't need to study for it, but I did and I'm pretty sure I aced it.  The math test, though, I'm not so sure about.  I didn't study for that at all."  He continued on about his new English project and then how Ned got accepted into NYU while MJ was going to Harvard.  By the time he got to his new World History teacher, Mr. Stark had calmed down and released Peter. 

"Thanks, kid,"  he sighed.  Peter nodded solemnly. 

"No problem,"  he replied.  Mr. Stark hugged him again then stepped back.  "I can still come over after school, right?" 

"I'd be upset if you didn't,"  Mr. Stark told him.  Peter grinned.  "Get on back to class, Underoos.  I'll see you in an hour." 

"Alright,"  Peter said.  He waved as he walked back into his class.  As soon as he faced his peers, he stopped short. 

"You know Tony Stark?"  was the resounding question.  The rest of the class period consisted of questions and Peter answering them until Scott appeared beside him.  After that, it varied between scolding Scott, apologising to the kids he'd scared, and explaining how he knew Ant Man as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I will be out of range of cell service and WiFi for about 4 days, so I won’t be able to update for a while, but I’ll update as soon as I get back. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Registration Day

If Pepper thought getting Tony out of the lab, then getting Shuri and Peter out was impossible.  Tony encouraged the two to spend time in Peter's personal lab, coming up with new ideas and having fun.  However, that made it even harder to convince them sleeping, eating, or other things such as events they need to go to—like registration for school—were important too.  Therefore, Pepper was left with no other option but to cut all power, including the emergency backup power, to Peter's lab when the teens refused to leave.  They came upstairs five minutes later, grumbling about Pepper not being fair. 

"If you came up when I called you, I wouldn't have had to cut the power,"  she replied, not really caring that they were upset with her.  They had to be somewhere on the other side of town in less than fifteen minutes. 

"We lost our work,"  Peter told her.  Pepper gave him a mocking pout then kissed his head. 

"Come up when I call, then,"  she said.  He groaned and she sent them off to put on shoes (ones that weren't Shuri's sneakers).  Five minutes later, they were all piled in a car and headed to Peter's school for registration. 

* * *

When they arrived at the school, Shuri was the first one to bounce out of the car.  She'd never been to an American school and couldn't wait to see if cafeteria's were actually a thing.  Peter had promised to show her all over the school while his parents did the boring registration stuff, but Tony made them stay for the beginning orientation.  After Principal Morita was done blabbering on about how excited he was for the new school year and that Midtown High was eager to meet their new students, everyone was allowed to go around to the different stations to register for after school activities and other stuff that needed to be done. 

"Can we go now, Dad?"  Peter asked.  Tony nodded, waving them off as he followed Pepper through a sea of parents (wearing a disguise of a hat and glasses, of course).  Peter grabbed Shuri's arm and tugged her out of the gymnasium, running to show her to robotics lab first. 

"Slow down,"  she grumbled, stumbling after him.  "We have an hour." 

"Barely enough time,"  Peter told her.  She sighed and ran beside him down the hall and into the robotics lab.  Peter excitedly showed her everything even though it was much less advanced than his own lab.  Shuri seemed to enjoy looking at the 'cute' technology, though, and soon they were off to another room. 

* * *

Peter and Shuri had seen almost the entire school after an hour.  They were returning from the band room to the gymnasium when Flash and his two friends stopped them.  Peter just stopped and stared at him blankly while Shuri looked between Peter and the boys in confusion.  Flash smirked and crossed his arms, grinning at Shuri then Peter. 

"Got yourself a girlfriend, Penis?"  he asked.  Shuri frowned. 

"Shut up, Flash,"  Peter answered, knowing Shuri would launch herself at him if he antagonized either one of them much more. 

"Why?  Will she disappear if she knows you're weak?"  Flash taunted.  As expected, Shuri moved to punch Flash.  Peter anticipated it, though, and grabbed her arm before she could swing. 

"Peter, let me go!"  she growled, fighting against Peter in hopes of reaching Flash.  "I'll beat him so hard he'll—"  she broke off into rapid, angry Wakandan and Peter struggled to keep her back. 

"What?  Can she not speak English?"  Flash asked.  Peter shot him a warning glare and his grip on Shuri loosened just enough she could reach out and scratch his face. 

"Insult me again, colonizer!"  she yelled.  Peter readjusted his grip on her and accidentally let her go.  She flew at Flash and he fell to the ground.  She swung at his face with both hands, alternating between the two.  She'd gotten three solid hits in before Peter grabbed her and tossed her behind him. 

"Shuri!  You can't just attack people!"  Peter exclaimed, blocking her from ripping Flash's eyes out. 

"He insulted you,"  she reminded him.  Peter snatched her as she tried to scurry around him and pulled her back.  "He's a no good piece of trash I could kill in my sleep!" 

"She's a homicidal maniac!"  Flash cried, struggling to regain composure after her attack.  His right cheek was bleeding from where she'd scratched him and his nose was busted from one of her hits.  "I'll have you arrested for this!"  Flash declared.  Shuri fumed. 

"I am the Princess of Wakanda,"  she told him furiously.  She jabbed a finger at him over Peter's shoulder.  "If you so much as lay a hand on me or Peter, I'll have you imprisoned for assault on a royal.  Not to mention my brother will kill you!" 

"Would you both stop it?"  Peter yelled.  Both Flash and Shuri stopped talking and glared at him.  "Any louder and everyone will hear you." 

"I don't believe your stupid girlfriend is the princess,"  Flash scoffed.  Peter sighed.  He wasn't going to let this go unless someone proved him wrong, was he?  "I feel like I would know if a princess was standing in front of me." 

"Then you should know there is,"  Tony said from behind Peter.  Peter and Shuri both looked up to see Tony and Pepper walking up behind them.  Flash's eyes widened at the sight of Tony Stark in front of him. 

"Tony Stark!"  he exclaimed.  Tony rolled his eyes. 

"That's my name,"  he replied dryly.  "Don't wear it out."  Flash quickly apologised and Tony put a hand on Peter's shoulder and asked, "What's going on, kid?" 

"Nothing,"  Peter said quickly.  Tony raised an eyebrow at him then turned to Shuri who angrily described what had happened, leaving out the part about punching Flash. 

"Yes,"  Tony said.  "Clearly you just yelled at him."  He waved her off when she tried to correct him.  "If I'm not told it, I don't have to tell your brother." 

"Yes,"  Shuri whispered happily, grinning at Peter.  She'd beaten up someone and wouldn't get in trouble for it.  Best trip to America ever! 

"Now you,"  Tony said, pointing at Flash.  Flash trembled as he nodded.  "You're going to apologise to the Princess and my son, then you're going to leave them alone for the rest of eternity, understood?"  Flash nodded quickly and Tony motioned for him to apologise now. 

"I'm sorry, Your Highness,"  he whispered, giving a small bow.  "Sorry, Peter."  Tony nodded, satisfied then sent him off. 

"Now, how about we go back to the Tower and get some dinner, yeah?"  he asked.  Of course, Peter and Shuri immediately agreed.  Pepper and Tony followed them to the car, watching as they happily talked together about their next lab idea as if nothing had happened earlier. 


	12. Carnival Day

Cotton candy was something Peter always got at the carnival.  It was also always something that made him sick to his stomach after he ate it and rode a roller coaster.  Wanda had warned him eating two things of cotton candy before riding the roller coaster was a bad idea, but he hadn't listened.  After one go on that giant purple and white ride, they'd had to stop at the bathroom so Peter could empty his stomach.  He wasn't better for another hour which meant they sat on a bench and talked until his stomach settled. 

"Alright!"  Peter exclaimed, jumping up off the bench.  "I'm good to go!" 

"We'll see,"  Wanda said, standing up and stretching.  Once she was finished stretching, they walked around to find another ride to go on.  It was getting a little late and the carnival would only stay open for another two hours or so, so they had to rush to make up for the hour they had to just sit around due to Peter's poor choices. 

"Let's try this!"  Peter exclaimed, pointing at what looked like swings hanging from a carousel top.  Wanda shrugged and followed him into the line.  She'd been on crazy rides with Pietro before; this didn't look that awful. 

"After this, we should do that,"  Wanda said, pointing at the Ferris wheel.  Peter rolled his eyes and stepped forward as the line moved. 

"Fine,"  he agreed.  "We'll do that basic carnival ride next."  Wanda elbowed him in the stomach and he glared at her.  She grinned and stepped around him to follow the line forward. 

"Ferris wheels are fun,"  she told him.  Peter didn't bother arguing.  Instead, they happily loaded the swing ride and waited for instructions.  Once everyone was strapped in, the ride begun moving slowly.  It didn't take long before they were going full speed, seats swinging far out from underneath the ride top.  Peter grinned and looked out over the carnival excitedly.  When he looked back to see Wanda, she had a small smile on her face, eyes closed as they spun.  Peter turned back forward in his seat and enjoyed the rest of the ride.  When it was over, he sadly got off and walked with Wanda to the Ferris wheel.  The line for it was much longer, but neither really minded. 

"How about after this, we go to the magic show and the mirror room?"  Peter suggested.  Wanda shrugged and nodded while Peter balanced on top of the metal rail.  Suddenly, he was shoved forward and fell off the rail.  He stumbled, barely stopping himself from hitting his face on the opposite rail, and turned to see who'd bumped into him. 

"Hey, Penis,"  Flash smirked.  "Having fun?  Who's this chick?  You pay her to come on a date with you?"  Peter's face scrunched up at the thought of dating Wanda and he glanced at her. 

"No,"  he said, disgusted by Flash's suggestion.  "She's my sister."  Not necessarily a lie; it only was if someone were to look at it legally.  Flash scoffed. 

"As if,"  he replied.  "I thought your family all died to get away from you."  Peter felt his gut twist and he struggled to respond.  Wanda, on the other hand, did not. 

"Excuse you,"  she said rudely, stepping forward to stand beside Peter.  "Who are you and why are you insulting my brother?"  Peter tried to hide how happy he felt when Wanda called him her brother, but based on the slightly confused look Flash gave him, he wasn't doing that well at it. 

"Why should I answer you?"  Flash retorted, crossing his arms and giving her a snobby look.  Peter could feel the energy of her red wisps when it flashed in her eyes and tickled her fingers.  Flash's eyes widened and he stepped back, giving Wanda the space to step forward. 

"Why are you insulting my brother?"  she repeated.  Flash stuttered out an answer. 

"I, um, we play this, uh, we play this game where the... where the best insulter, uh, wins?"  Flash tried.  Wanda's energy became stronger as she brought a hand up closer to Flash's face, red covering each finger. 

"Leave Peter alone,"  she whispered.  He nodded quickly before darting off.  Peter didn't miss the slight tinge of red that hovered near his head for a few seconds, but he didn't say anything about it. 

"Thanks,"  he said quietly.  Wanda nodded once, the red disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.  Bystanders weren't looking at them, so Peter wondered if she had also confused their memories too. 

"No problem,"  Wanda mumbled, glaring at Flash's retreating figure.  "How long has he been bullying you?"  Peter shrugged. 

"Not that long,"  he lied.  She gave him a look and he rubbed his wrist awkwardly.  "Maybe a couple years?  But it's not that bad!  I can handle it!" 

"Peter!"  Wanda exclaimed.  A couple people looked at them but quickly looked away at Wanda's sharp glare.  "You have to tell someone so we can help you stop it!" 

"It's not that bad!"  Peter said, his voice an octave higher than usual.  "If I just ignore him, he gets his jabs in then leaves.  I can ignore him!  If I make him stop, he'll bully other kids and they might not be able to ignore him."  Wanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten before looking at Peter again. 

"Fine,"  she said.  "But if anyone else starts to bother you, let me know."  Peter nodded quickly, promising her he would. 

"Besides, it's not like you didn't mess with Flash's mind,"  he mumbled.  Wanda narrowed her eyes at him.  "Oh yeah, I saw that!  Good thing no one else did." 

"I suppose I am lucky,"  she smirked.  Peter was pretty sure that was code for "I totally screwed with everyone else's mind and don't care", but he couldn't be positive. 


	13. An Aggressive Q & A in the Hall: Part 1

Peter was pretty sure he'd never been less excited to visit Stark Tower.  Usually, he'd be singing happily as he swung through New York on his way to the Tower.  Right now, he was slumped in a school bus, listening to Flash make up stupid songs about him and how he was a liar.  Even with his ear buds in and the music turned up, he could hear Flash and his friends taunting him from the back thanks to his super hearing.  Ms. Warren either didn't hear (how could she not?) or didn't care.  Peter knew Flash's parents were pretty influential in the school, so he wouldn't be surprised to hear the teachers had a "no getting Eugene "Flash" Thompson in trouble". 

"We're here!"  Ms. Warren suddenly announced.  Peter sank lower into his seat while the other kids jumped to the windows, hoping to see out at the Tower.  It was hard to miss as they were stopping right in front of it. 

"Come on, man,"  Ned exclaimed, tugging on Peter's arm.  Peter stood up and followed Ned off the bus and away from the group of students.  MJ joined them with a book and the three followed the larger group inside. 

"Wait right here while I line up our tour,"  Ms. Warren instructed.  Everyone found a couch, chair, or the floor to sit on and talked to their friends excitedly.  Peter just stood beside Ned and tuned out his excited chatter. 

"...and you're not even listening,"  Ned finished.  Peter snapped his head up to look at Ned who gave him a I-totally-caught-you-not-listening look and Peter sighed. 

"Sorry, man,"  he said.  "It's just, I'm here all the time and Flash is going to make this miserable." 

"Oh yeah,"  Ned said, nodding.  "I keep forgetting that."  Peter knew this but just nodded.  Right then, Ms. Warren returned with a tour guide who introduced herself as Larissa and handed out badges. 

"These all have your names on them and will only be active for today,"  she told them.  She called out everyone's names and they walked forward to receive their white badge.  Of course, thanks to the Stark Industries 'No Waste' policy, Peter didn't have a guest badge printed out.  No one seemed to notice except Ned and MJ, but when he pulled his own badge from his backpack, their weren't surprised. 

"Hey, yours is blue,"  Ned said, pointing at the dark navy colour of Peter's badge.  His name was on the back along with a barely visible, black spider in the bottom right corner. 

"Yeah, cause it's not a guest or low level badge,"  Peter explained.  Ned let out a soft 'oh' as he admired Peter's badge.  Larissa asked if everyone had received a badge and they all nodded. 

"Alright, welcome to Stark Industries,"  she said, clasping her hands together.  "You'll notice your badges are white while mine is a lime green.  This is simply to show clearance.  Within each colour there are five levels, the fifth of each colour being the highest clearance on that colour."  A hand went up and she called on it. 

"What's the highest level badge?"  Emily asked. 

"The highest level is actually Mr. Stark himself who does not require a badge to enter any place,"  Larissa answered.  "However, the highest badge would be Navy Five which is only given to Pepper Stark and James Rhodes.  The Avengers have Navy Three." 

"Who has Navy Four?"  Abe asked. 

"No one,"  Larissa answered.  Peter kept quiet.  He was the only one who had Navy Four; clearly Mr. Stark hadn't put that in the system.  He'd have to ask Mr. Stark why he wasn't in the system.  "Alright, please follow me and scan your badges!"  Larissa said happily.  She scanned her badge and walked through the security gate. 

"Larissa James.  Level Green Four,"  FRIDAY announced.  A couple kids looked at the security gate in awe at the sound of her voice and Larissa just smirked, clearly expecting no one knew about FRIDAY. 

"Come on through,"  she called.  The class did, FRIDAY calling out every single name followed by "White One".  Peter followed Ned through, scanning his badge and ducking for cover at FRIDAY's voice. 

"Peter Parker.  Level Navy Four,"  FRIDAY declared.  Even Larissa looked at him in surprise.  "Welcome back, Peter." 

"Thanks, FRI,"  he mumbled.  His classmates whispered to themselves about how he could have gotten the badge while Larissa checked something on her Stark tablet.  She narrowed her eyes at Peter after not finding what Peter assumed was a list of all the badge colours and levels that should tell her he did, in fact, have a Navy Four pass.  Nonetheless, she cleared her throat, still eyeing Peter suspiciously, and called for the group's attention. 

"Our first stop will be the lower offices, so follow me and I'll take you up,"  she said, guiding them over to the elevators.  They all filed in and crammed together for the short ride up, but Peter could feel everyone's eyes on him.  Apparently, his classmates didn't forget things easily. 


	14. An Aggressive Q & A in the Hall: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flash does physically attack Peter, so if that's a problem for you, then don't read this part.

Peter was extremely thankful when lunch finally arrived.  He was able to hide near the back of the cafeteria with Ned and MJ while they ate without feeling his classmates' stares on him.  Every time they entered a lab, they had to scan their badges.  Every time they scanned their badges, FRIDAY read out their names and clearance level, drawing everyone's attention to Peter whenever FRIDAY loudly announced he had an unregistered, high clearance badge.  Larissa had only given him strange, boarding-on-rude looks and checked her tablet every time his name was called.  He'd hated every second of the morning tour and couldn't wait to be done. 

"Alright!"  Larissa called, drawing the attention of all the students.  "We're headed to the last part of our tour, so if you'd all throw out your trash and follow me, we can continue." 

"I wonder what it is,"  Ned said as they stood up.  Peter shrugged and walked over to the trash bin, throwing out his trash then standing near the back of the group.  Larissa led them back onto the elevator and they rode it up to floor 37, the highest they'd been all day.  They followed Larissa down the hall and into a large room where what looked like scrap parts were sitting out. 

"Your teacher assigned partners already,"  Larissa said.  "You'll be working together to create a robot and show it to the group after an hour."  She motioned towards Ms. Warren who began calling out the groups.  Peter was shocked to learn he wasn't with Ned like he always was.  Instead, he was with Flash which confused him even more.  Flash always got the partner he wanted; all he had to do was ask a teacher and remind them how influential his parents were.  Why was he assigned to Peter? 

"Good luck, man,"  Ned whispered as Peter walked off to join Flash at a table.  Flash glared as Peter approached him. 

"So, Penis, how'd you get that badge?"  he asked.  Peter sighed. 

"I told you,"  he replied, looking down at the scraps on the table.  "I have an internship."  Flash scoffed and Peter set down a wire. 

"Like I believe that,"  Flash said.  He crossed his arms.  "How come an intern would have a badge that doesn't exist, huh?  I know Larissa wasn't lying when she said there wasn't a Navy Four, so how'd you fake it?" 

"I didn't fake it,"  Peter insisted.  Flash nearly growled and grabbed Peter's arm. 

"Ms. Warren?  We're going to the bathroom,"  Flash said, dragging Peter out of the room and into the hall.  The doors slammed behind them and Flash shoved Peter to the ground.  "How'd you make a fake pass?  How?" 

"I already told you, I didn't,"  Peter said, standing back up.  Flash punched him in the face, his fist colliding with Peter's cheek.  Peter grimaced, but didn't yell out in pain.  He'd been hit worse. 

"You liar!"  Flash yelled, jumping on Peter.  Peter held Flash back so he couldn't hit Peter again, but Flash wasn't going down easy.  Peter fought to keep him off and when the elevator started to move, he was momentarily distracted.  Flash got a solid hit on his nose and Peter heard more than felt his nose break.  His hand immediately went under his chin as his nose began to bleed, but Flash kept striking him.  Peter struggled to hold him off with one hand while trying to keep blood from covering his shirt and the floor. 

"Hey!"  someone yelled.  They pulled Flash off Peter and Peter sat up, cupping his nose and standing.  Mr. Stark was holding back Flash, his arms pulled back and up to prevent him from launching at Peter again.  Mr. Stark didn't look very happy to discover someone beating up Peter, but Peter didn't have much time to think on that before he was distracted by someone turning him around.  It was Pepper. 

"Oh my god!  Peter!"  she exclaimed, taking in his bruised cheek and busted nose.  "What happened?  I know he beat you up, but how?  What... What happened?" 

"Nothing, Miss Potts,"  Peter mumbled.  Even though she was married now, she still went by Miss Potts and she'd told Peter that he could call her Pepper or Miss Potts, so he did. 

"Clearly that's not true,"  she said.  She was about to scold him some more, but the blood from Peter's nose was spilling from his hand.  "Alright.  Let's go find Bruce." 

"Okay,"  Peter agreed.  He let her steer him into the elevator and take him up to the Avengers med bay.  By the time they got there, his nose had stopped bleeding which meant they had about ten minutes before it began to heal incorrectly. 

"Hey, Peter,"  Bruce smiled, guiding Peter over to a bed where he sat down.  Peter cleaned off his hands and Bruce carefully set his nose then gave him some ice.  "What happened?" 

"Nothing important,"  Peter shrugged.  Pepper gave him a sharp look and he looked away from her.  "One of my classmates was jealous of my badge." 

"So he broke your nose and bruised your face?"  Bruce exclaimed.  Peter felt his cheek, but the bruise had mostly healed already.  "Yeah, I noticed it when you first came in.  It's gone now, though." 

"Oh,"  Peter replied.  That made sense, he supposed.  "Thanks for fixing my nose." 

"No problem,"  Bruce said.  Pepper took Peter back down to his class where Mr. Stark had just finished talking to Ms. Warren.  She looked a little shaken up and so did Larissa, but he must not have yelled because he wasn't breathing hard. 

"Tony, what happened here?"  Pepper asked, keeping an arm around Peter.  Mr. Stark turned to face her and Peter. 

"Apparently they don't believe in treating kids equally and stopping a bully if their parents are important,"  Mr. Stark said haughtily.  Pepper raised an eyebrow at Ms. Warren who quickly avoided eye contact.  "Therefore, I said unless something is down about the bullying at Midtown High, my son will not be attending and I will publicly declare their school not fit for a good education,"  Mr. Stark finished, looking at Ms. Warren again. 

"Tony, you can't just..."  Pepper sighed again and nodded.  "Okay.  I'm sorry, Miss..." 

"Warren,"  Peter provided.  Pepper thanked him softly. 

"I'm sorry, Ms. Warren,"  she said.  "However, I stand beside Tony in this.  Fix this bullying issue or you can guarantee Midtown High will be dragged through the mud at Tony's next conference." 

"Yes, yes,"  Ms. Warren stuttered, nodding quickly.  "Of course.  It will be fixed and we will deal with it as soon as we return to the school."  Mr. Stark nodded, satisfied with that answer then turned to Peter, taking him from Pepper's side. 

"Now, how about we talk about why you didn't tell me about this earlier,"  he said, walking Peter out of the room and back up to the penthouse where he spent the rest of his evening.  Peter did have to admit, if Mr. Stark called him his son every time Flash broke Peter's nose, Peter wouldn't mind if it happened again. 


	15. Bring Your Kid to Work Day 2.0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, I thought it'd be cute to rewrite the first chapter, but make Peter 5 or so. I hope you enjoy this!

Five year old Peter clearly didn't understand that his Iron Man pyjamas were not an acceptable work outfit.  Tony had been trying to explain this to his son for nearly ten minutes and by now, they were running late.  Pepper had told him to just go with it; it would be easier than arguing with the boy for all of eternity.  Tony was not having it, though.  His son would dress in an adorable little suit for his first day at Stark Industries if Tony had to sit on him.  Of course, when he realised that's what it would come down to—him sitting on his puny son—he decided he'd rather not kill him just so he'd wear a suit. 

"Fine!"  he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender while Peter grinned victoriously.  "You win!  But no banana bread for a month!" 

"I don't even like banana bread so ha!"  Peter replied, hands on his hips.  Tony frowned, recognising a blatant lie when he heard it, but didn't say anything about it.  Instead, he got up from where he'd been kneeling on the floor and picked Peter up. 

"Now we're late,"  he told his son.  Peter shrugged, wrapping his arms around Tony's neck happily.  "I hope we have to sit in boring meetings all day just so you hate today." 

"No you don't,"  Peter replied.  Tony looked at him as they stepped into the elevator.  "Then you'll be bored and Mommy wouldn't like it if you made me bored." 

"You know what?  Maybe I'll just leave you here,"  Tony said.  Peter kissed his nose quickly, grinning widely when Tony narrowed his eyes at him.  "Don't be cute.  It's annoying,"  he joked.  Peter's grin just grew and pretty soon, Tony was smiling as well and blowing raspberries in Peter's neck while the five year old squealed in delight. 

* * *

Peter absolutely loved the labs.  Even though he'd seen his dad's lab and Tony tried telling him these labs were supposed to be less fun, Peter didn't seem to get the hint.  It didn't help that he offered to help everyone with everything, making the staff love him.  Peter had so much fun in the lab, Tony didn't mind leaving him there while he left for a meeting before lunch.  Peter held various tools for the interns and scientists, asking them dozens of questions and running things back and forth for them.  By the time Tony returned from his meeting, Peter was happily giggling with one of the interns without any fear of them. 

"Peter, you ready for lunch, kiddo?"  Tony asked, walking into the lab.  Peter raced across the floor and jumped into Tony's arms.  Tony threw him over his head then caught him, grinning as Peter shrieked happily. 

"Yeah!"  he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Tony's neck.  "Emmy said there's a coffee-tarium downstairs with yummy food.  Can we go there?" 

"Sure,"  Tony agreed.  "We can go to the cafeteria."  He waved goodbye to his staff and carried Peter into the elevator.  Peter squirmed out of Tony's arms and instead held his hand as they walked through the cafeteria looking for something to eat.  They decided on burritos then found a table near the back to sit at. 

"And then, and then we made this, this thing that's supposed to, to make JARVIS happy,"  Peter told Tony.  Tony nodded and smiled, although confused as to what Peter was talking about.  "Mr. Jimmy is gonna keep it safe though until it's time to go home then we can give it to him." 

"Oh, so it was a craft?"  Tony asked.  Peter nodded, his legs swinging under the table as he bit into his burrito.  Tony was about to tell him they would be visiting the offices on the middle floors, but one of the board members approached them. 

"Mr. Stark, who's this?"  he asked, looking down at Peter who was picking onions out of his burrito. 

"What are you doing here, Oliver?"  Tony asked, rewrapping Peter's burrito for him.  "I thought your flight left twenty minutes ago." 

"Yes, well, it was delayed,"  Oliver replied.  Tony frowned slightly.  "You can do that when you have a private jet." 

"I know,"  Tony said.  "I have seven."  Oliver pursed his lips as if just remembering he wasn't the only person with a private jet.  "Why are you still here, though?  I thought you hated New York." 

"Oh I do,"  Oliver said.  He put his hand on Peter's small shoulder and Tony tensed visibly.  "I heard from the grapevine that you had a mini-Stark around here and I had to see for myself.  Is he really yours?" 

"Piss off,"  Tony snapped, standing up and walking around the tiny table to step between Peter and Oliver.  Even if the man was a member on his board of directors, he didn't trust him. 

"He must be,"  Oliver deduced, looking down at Peter who was now turned around to look at the strange man talking to his dad.  "I never thought I'd see a Stark care for his son.  Must be an act, huh?"  he asked the man beside him.  The man gave a short nod. 

"Get out of my building,"  Tony said quietly, looking away from Oliver to calm himself.  Oliver didn't seem to care and looked down at Peter. 

"Does Daddy hurt you?"  he asked sweetly.  Peter cocked his head in confusion, scrunching his eyebrows together.  "He's rude to you in private, isn't he?" 

"No!"  Peter said loudly.  Tony gently pushed him back into his seat, but he climbed on top of the table and frowned as scarily as he could at Oliver. 

"Oh?"  Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow at Tony as if to mockingly say he didn't believe the kid. 

"My Daddy is the nicest person in the whole world!"  Peter yelled, drawing the attention of some staff nearby.  "He lets me play with Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers.  He plays hide and seek with me and he makes me cookies when Mommy says no!" 

"Okay, okay,"  Oliver said, trying to get Peter to stop yelling.  Multiple people were now staring at him while Tony just stood in front of Peter, watching his son destroy his board member. 

"You're a big meanie that tries to take my Daddy's things,"  Peter screamed, pointing at Oliver.  Tony gently put his hand down but didn't bother telling him to be quiet.  "You smell like poo-poo and JARVIS doesn't like you."  Peter took a deep breath and Tony plugged his ears seconds before Peter screamed at Oliver.  When he finally stopped shrieking and breathed, the cafeteria was dead silent and Oliver looked truly embarrassed and distressed. 

"Alright, Peter,"  Tony said calmly, turning slightly so Peter could jump off the counter and into his arms.  "I think it's time we go and get JARVIS's present, yeah?"  Peter nodded once, glaring at Oliver from his dad's arms.  Tony then turned to Oliver and his face hardened.  "Get out of my building or I'll sick my wife on you,"  he said. 

"Of course,"  Oliver mumbled, rushing out of the Tower while Peter and Tony headed to the private elevator. 

"Is Mommy gonna be mad I yelled?"  Peter asked, wrapping his arms around Tony's neck. 

"Nah,"  Tony replied, kissing Peter's cheek quickly.  "In fact, I think she'll even make you cookies." 

"Good,"  Peter said happily.  "He was a big asshole."  Tony choked on his breath and Peter looked at him innocently. 

"I agree,"  Tony said, voice a little higher than normal.  "However, you probably shouldn't say that word in front of Mommy or she'll never let you have cookies for the rest of your life." 


	16. What a Time to Get Hurt

Peter wasn't stupid enough to have hoped that Flash would leave him be after what happened in homeroom.  He'd made the mistake of talking back to Flash after a fun weekend with Mr. Stark re-watching Star Wars and playing D&D with Bruce, Ned, Rhodey, and Mr. Stark.  As May was gone, he was staying with Mr. Stark and Miss Potts for a couple days and had an unusual amount of confidence, so when Flash taunted him that morning, he talked back.  Of course, he knew he was screwed when Flash passed him a note saying to watch his back five minutes later.  He'd just kind of, sort of, really forgotten about it until now. 

"Get over here, Penis!"  Flash yelled, storming down the hallway.  Peter barely had time to shut his locker before Flash's fist found Peter's face.  Peter stumbled backwards into the lockers, his head slamming back and hitting the doors. 

"Whoa, stop that!"  Ned exclaimed.  Flash ignored him and kicked Peter in the shins. 

"You think you're all that?"  he yelled, jamming his elbow down onto the crook of Peter's neck.  He grabbed Peter's collar and forced him to look up.  "I'll teach you to talk back to me!" 

"Mr. Thompson!"  Principal Morita called out, stopping Flash from swinging at Peter.  Both boys looked up to see Morita running towards them.  "My office now.  Mr. Parker, go find the nurse for your face then join us."  Ned helped Peter off the ground and guided him down to the nurse's office. 

"Thanks, man,"  Peter mumbled.  Ned waved him off as he opened the nurse's door. 

"No problem,"  he replied.  "I just want to see Flash in trouble."  Peter nodded as the nurse walked over to them. 

"I'll be fine, thanks,"  he told Ned.  Ned nodded then headed off to English now that lunch was over.  The nurse checked Peter's eye and determined it hadn't been broken, just bruised.  He was given an ice pack for his eye and one for his neck before the nurse walked him down to Principal Morita's office. 

"I'm glad you could join us, Peter,"  Principal Morita said.  He gestured towards a seat by Flash and Peter reluctantly sat down.  "I've called both of your parents or guardians and they agreed to meet with me.  They'll be here in fifteen minutes.  In the mean time, you two can stay here silently while I go write up an accident report." 

"Yes, Principal Morita,"  both of them mumbled.  Morita nodded and got up from his desk, leaving Peter and Flash alone in his silent office for fifteen minutes. 

Mr. Thompson was the first parent to arrive.  When he walked up to the front desk, Principal Morita led him back to his office and the four sat awkwardly, waiting for Peter's guardian to show up.  At exactly 1:18pm, the office door opened and Tony Stark walked in, looking around in confusion before finding Peter.  He smiled when he saw the curly haired kid, but frowned immediately when he saw the ice pack Peter held to his black eye.  He didn't bother greeting the principal before rushing to Peter's side and asking what happened. 

"It's not that big of a deal, Mr. Stark,"  Peter mumbled, aware of the stares he was receiving.  "Can we just get this over with?  I'm missing class."  Mr. Stark scoffed. 

"You're coming home, kid,"  he replied.  Peter's jaw dropped.  "You're face in more purple than normal, Pepper's in the lobby freaking out, and I'm not gonna just leave you here." 

"But I have school!"  Peter exclaimed. 

"I'll handle it,"  Mr. Stark replied.  He then turned towards Principal Morita and asked for an explanation. 

"Eugene attacked Peter in the hallway,"  Principal Morita said.  Mr. Thompson frowned and looked at his son who shrunk in his seat.  "Considering the damage done and the various reports that this isn't uncommon, Eugene will be suspended for two days." 

"I'm sorry, what?"  Mr. Stark interrupted.  "He beats Peter up regularly and you're giving him a two day suspension?" 

"We don't have any more evidence, so I'm afraid that's the case,"  Principal Morita replied.  Mr. Stark glared at Flash but stopped when Peter elbowed him sharply.  "Peter is free to go home now as he is pretty banged up, but we expect him at school tomorrow." 

"Three grand says he skips the next three days,"  Mr. Stark said.  "No penalty or homework."  Principal Morita looked a little surprised.  "Twelve grand." 

"Alright,"  Principal Morita agreed.  Mr. Stark nodded and stood up, helping Peter to his feet.  "Mr. Stark, we're not done." 

"No, I know,"  he said, guiding Peter out the door.  "It's just, I'm sending Peter home now with my fiance—I'm sure you know her.  I'll be right back."  Peter grumbled the whole way into the lobby until he saw Pepper. 

"Pepper!"  he exclaimed.  Pepper engulfed him in a tight hug immediately and looked over his face.  "I'm okay!  Honestly, you're worse than May." 

"Peter, let her fuss,"  Mr. Stark said, letting go of Peter.  "It will just be easier." 

"You go get that boy expelled for this,"  Pepper said, pointing at Mr. Stark but continuing to gently rub Peter's bruised eye. 

"I'll see what I can do,"  he replied, kissing her quickly.  She shooed him off, walking with Peter out to the car. 

"What happened?"  she demanded.  "I want to know everything that boy did so I can fix it."  Peter just sighed and told her the story, completely aware of stares coming from the classrooms and the whispers behind the doors.  He decided to just ignore them, though, because honestly?  He was more than happy to let Pepper and Mr. Stark fuss over him when May wasn't nearby to do it instead. 


End file.
